Comic books and bandes dessinées (graphic novels), have a respected heritage in France, and are celebrated as le neuvième art (the ninth art) along with poetry, architecture, painting, and sculpture.

But one city is particularly passionate about them. Angoulême in Charente is France’s undisputed capital of comics – home to the internationally renowned Festival International de la Bande Dessinée d’Angoulême (FIBD) and the Cité internationale de la bande dessinée et de l’image (CIBDI), a museum dedicated to the art.

…

The festival was inspired by a 1972 exhibition dedicated to the art form in Angoulême. The first edition took place on January 25, 1974 over two days, in a disused wing of the Musée d’Angoulême, attracting 10,000 visitors.

“In the 1970s, comics underwent a veritable renaissance, with the emergence of more mature comics aimed at an adult audience,” said Mr Martin.

“The festival came at just the right time to capitalise on this. The FIBD has rapidly become a meeting place for authors, publishers and the general public. It offers a space for discussions, conferences, exhibitions and signings, encouraging exchanges between the various stakeholders in the industry.”

Its success continued to grow and during the 1984 festival the then culture minister Jack Lang announced a plan for Angoulême that included the development of the National Comics Center into the Cité internationale de la bande dessinée et de l’image (CIBDI).

“Visitors to the Cité will find a unique setting on the banks of the Charente, with its comic strip museum, open all year round, its specialist bookshop with over 20,000 items, and its library,” said Marina Sichantho, assistant general manager at the CIBDI.

“The Cité also has a research centre, an arthouse cinema, an author residency facility called the Maison des auteurs, where more than 60 authors are welcomed every year, and a programme of meetings with authors, educational workshops and tours.”